King and Queen of Hearts
by LoneTrooper001
Summary: Takes place after the final episode "...Tell Our Moms We've Done Our Best." Shane and Phousse are eventually rescued by commandos from the USS Saratoga. Upon return, Shane warms up further to Nathan who was promoted to Captain and made leader of the "Wildcards." Could she be a 'monarch' beside him? Or maybe even more? Vansen/West romance throughout.
1. Chapter 1: Taking Charge of the Post

_King and Queen of Hearts - A Space: Above and Beyond Story_

(Partially inspired by the anime's _Mobile Fighter G Gundam_ , _The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross_ , _and Outlaw Star_ )

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Hurt, Angst, Comfort (i.e. a bit of everything for the most part)

Chapter 1: "Taking Charge of the Post"

It was 0800 hours aboard the spacecraft battle carrier USS _Saratoga_. The ready room for the carrier's air wing was partially full as 5 pilots in the "Wildcards" squadron sat on the cushioned, mounted chairs. Out of these pilots, only two were seasoned veterans – Nathan West, the "King of Hearts," who recently got promoted to Captain and is now Mission Commander on every sortie, and Cooper Hawkes, otherwise known as "Coop," who is still a First Lieutenant yet is now West's adjutant. Rather than staying as the "Jack of Spades," though, Hawkes was re-designated as "Queen of Spades."

Three weeks after the mission in which Captain Shane Vansen and Lieutenant Vanessa Damphousse went M.I.A. and Lieutenant Paul Wang died, things took a drastic turn. Apart from West and Hawkes taking over as operation commanders, the "Wildcards" were to get 3 new pilots aboard: 1st Lieutenant Kazuo "Kaz" Tsurugi, an Okinawa-born Marine aviator who was later raised in Los Angeles, California, by his aunt and uncle and initially served as an F/A-18 Hornet mechanic back on Earth; 1st Lieutenant Kelsey "Kels" Wheeler, a native of Lockport, Illinois, who is the only child of a US Air Force brigadier general and started her career in the Corps as an air traffic controller; 2nd Lieutenant Beniamin "Benny" Kowalski, a junior Marine from Newport, Rhode Island, who at first thought about following the footsteps of his older brother as well as his father who both served in the Army – the former currently a Captain in the "Green Berets," the latter who was a retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 and helicopter pilot.

Nathan and Cooper sat in the front row while Kaz, Kels, and Benny were right behind them. All of a sudden, Nathan quickly stood up, snapped to attention, and yelled out, "ATTENTION ON DECK!" Commodore Glen Ross, the commanding officer of the _Saratoga_ , entered the room followed by a familiar figure - Lieutenant Colonel Tyrus McQueen, the de facto commander of the "Wildcards" and former leader of the long-defunct "Angry Angels" fast-attack squadron. Following the assassination attempt by the Chigs at the grand peace treaty weeks ago, McQueen lost his right leg in the ensuing explosion and was transported out of the carrier back on Earth. In order for him to be given the option to stay on active duty service in the Marines – the only family he has ever had, he had to go through an extremely painful surgery procedure, which would grant him an artificial, prosthetic leg. It may not bring his real one back, but by Heavens, it would help him get up and walk again!

"AT EASE!" The commodore mandated. The "Wildcards" sat down, West and Hawkes looking like they just saw a ghost. He and McQueen took their positions in front of the squadron beside the podium.

"GOOD AFTERNOON, WILDCARDS!" Colonel McQueen bellowed.

"Good Afternoon, Sir!" The squadron softly answered.

"Holy shit, people! Did I just step into a funeral parlor? I SAID, 'GOOD AFTERNOON, WILDCARDS!'" McQueen shouted again.

"GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR!" The squadron responded with a united, deafening roar.

"Oh, I just felt T.C., Junior, move!" The colonel enthusiastically responded. The squadron burst out laughing. McQueen then turned to Ross and said, "Sir?" The Commodore nodded and proceeded to take the stage. McQueen then stepped back at stood at parade rest position.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Listen up! Today is a no-fly day. That does not mean it is time to be sitting behind your desks, slacking off, and lollygagging. All of us have administrative duties to take care of. Spacecraft have to be maintained in top, fighting shape, and necessary supplies and personnel have to be transported on and off the carrier. As of today, we are so close to complete victory, but if we let up, we can never grasp that for another indefinite measure of time!"

The commodore then motioned his hand to the 3 new "nuggets" in the squadron. "We also have new faces in the wing. They are eager to get their first taste of combat and take the fight to the Chigs, sending them where they belong! But, first things first: They must get situated in the carrier, and someone has to show them around and take them to where they need to stay as integral members of the _Saratoga_ team. Captain West?"  
"Sir!" Nathan responded.

"You and Lieutenant Hawkes are to show Mister Tsurugi, Miss Wheeler, and Mister Kowalski the essential places in this ship and brief them on squadron and carrier life. Now, you boys have been there, setting foot first in this steel-plated structure you now call home, confused and don't know where to go firsthand. I am sure you know this place at the back of your hands by now. See to it that the nuggets are squared away and ready to kick some ass by tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"We're on it, Sir!" West shouted.

"That is all. Oh, and one more thing: Welcome back, Colonel McQueen!" Ross pointed to the InVitro squadron commander. The "Wildcards" clapped in sitting ovation, then stopped in a slow, fading crescendo.

"Dismissed!"

"ATTENTION ON DECK!" Nathan commanded as the squadron stood at attention.

"Carry on!" Commodore Ross ordered as he left the room.

"Aye, aye, Sir!" The squadron responded.

Colonel McQueen stayed in order to get acquainted with the new pilots and reestablish his presence to his 2 veterans in the unit. As he approached Hawkes and West, the first words that came out of his mouth were "Well, 'Cards. Here we be, and here we will stay. West?"

"Sir," Nathan responded.

"How does it feel to be Operational Commander now that I have been taken out of action and won't fly for the rest of my time in the Corps?"

"Feels pretty good, Colonel. It makes me feel alive or, rather, should I say, refined. Not that I feel like I'm the boss or anything like that. It just seems rewarding that I am to impart my knowledge and experience to those newbies."

"That's because it is, indeed, rewarding to now be _kemo sabe_. Anyway, glad to hear that from you. Lieutenant Hawkes?"

"Sir!" Cooper responded.

"You keeping this guy in line as his adjutant?"

"Yes, Sir!" Cooper replied with a smile.

"Very well. You keep that up. I can't afford to, in turn, lose both of my prized squadron veterans due to any emotional disturbance from the loss of Wang, Vansen, and Damphousse."

Nathan and Cooper started to twitch their faces from looks of enthusiasm to expression of concern and fragments of melancholy.

Cooper asked, "Speaking of which, Sir. Have you heard anything about them?"

"Negative, Hawkes. We could only hope for the best."

"Aye, Sir."

"Now, get going and tend to the current needs of the new three."

"Sir!" Nathan and Cooper responded as they walked out of the ready room.

McQueen shook his head. "Yep. We could only hope for the best," he thought.


	2. Chapter 2: Salvation

_King and Queen of Hearts: A_ _Space: Above and Beyond_ _Story_

(Partially inspired by the anime's _Mobile Fighter G Gundam_ , _The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross_ , _and Outlaw Star_ )

Chapter 2: "Salvation"

Planet Rozaria. A world that can be described as having bright orange, red, and yellow hues with only minimal blue and green from a telescopic device in another planet. It is mostly made up of deserts with only 30% forestry and aquatic bodies. Rozaria has been under Chig control for two decades and a half running, long before the Chigs decided to try and attack human colonial interests outside of Earth. There had not been any other life forms on Rozaria save the plants and waterways until a United Nations transport pod landed there three weeks ago.

A heavy-duty ISSCV space transport carrier from the USS _Saratoga_ was shot down by Chig fighters within the orbital bounds of Rozaria. It was during a critical mission where members of the "Wildcards" squadron had to retrieve refugees from a stranded transport. The carriage hull of the transport ship managed to detach before the pilot operating bay was lost through Chig fire. The mission was a success for the most part, but success did not come with significant losses. For the lives of 100 refugees, two had seemed to be lost. Those two souls happened to be Captain Shane Nichole Vansen, call-sign "Queen of Diamonds," and First Lieutenant Vanessa Elise Damphousse, who was rather known as "Phousse" to her mates and codenamed "Ace of Hearts." Official records within the Department of the Navy listed Vansen and Damphousse as "Missing in Action – Presumably Killed," but nobody in the _Saratoga_ knows for sure what had happened to them. Commodore Ross had sent out rescue parties in Rozaria for a week and a half, but those teams returned with no luck. The Vansens and Damphousse families had been notified with devastating results as well as daunting auras of sorrow and uncertainty towards the supposedly fallen lasses.

Unbeknownst to the crew of the _Saratoga_ , Vansen and Damphousse were still alive. As it turned out, the two Women Marines managed to detach the cockpit structure from the main operating bay of their ISSCV before the transport was shot down. In an instance that would seem as though the detached structure had plummeted to Rozaria, the two managed to activate the parachute mechanism and slowly drift down to the planet's surface. Thus, they were able to steer the pod and securely land in a forested area of the planet. For 2 and a half weeks, Shane and Vanessa lived off the land as they were trained to do in the Marine Corps' Basic School (TBS) at Quantico, Virginia, and follow-on Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington state. They operated in survival mode with little to no sleep, snacking on berries and leaves from trees all around, drinking water form nearby streams, almost always on the move lest any Chig patrol comes within their proximity. Each of them took turns on catching some Z's, being lucky enough if either one of them managed to get 5 hours of sleep on any given day.

Following that 2 and ½ week span, the pair found a Chig outpost 228 clicks from their crash site. Judging from their fortunate circumstance, things started to become more or less unfortunate as the Chigs caught wind of their pod landing southeast of the post. On one evening, Shane and Vanessa debated for a bit on whether or not to do a little reconnaissance around the base from an adequate distance. Eventually, they agreed that this little improvised mission could later provide crucial information needed for Carrier Task Force 90 to plan out a massive assault on said major stronghold in Rozaria. They dashed through the vast forestry, making sure to use tree trunks for cover lest they become spotted and fired upon.

Upon seeing the Chig outpost, Shane took out her portable Sony Cyber Shot telescopic camera, set the "Flash" option to "Off" and the "Infrared Thermal View" to "On," and readied herself to take vital photographs of the area albeit the scenery being dimly lit. Phousse crouched behind her, asking in a low voice, "Vansen, what do you see?"

"Some kind of defense mega-structure, Phousse," Shane hissed as she scanned the area with her camera. She proceeded to take a couple of carefully aimed shots of the building.

"Fifty-something tons of steel and concrete plate, 400 to 500 hover tanks, 700 to 800 APC's, 80 heavy gun emplacements, combined AAA cannons, .80 caliber rapid-fire laser guns, and, last but not least, photonic guided SAM launchers. Enough to take out an entire joint Marine/Naval/Army/Space Force expeditionary division."

"Da-yum!" Vanessa softly exclaimed. "How many Chig troopers?"

"I don't know. 40, 70-thousand strong and eager to take human heads like ours if we're not careful," she stated as she let out 15 more snaps on her camera.

"Shit!" Phousse exclaimed.

"Hey! Do you mind keeping it down? We could get made at any second with you getting excited like that," Shane hissed.

"My bad, homegirl."

Shane shook her head.

"Alright. Just 5 or 6 more snaps, and we're good to go," Shane declared as she finished off her photographic activity.

Suddenly, Phousse and Vansen heard a clanked step 3 kilometers from their position. It was a giant Chig soldier. The pair quickly went into near-complete "hush-hush" mode.

"Chig trooper," Phousse whispered.

"Yep. Get down," Vansen ordered as she and Phousse went into prone position and played dead for a good minute. The Chig trooper drew near and scanned their proximity with a built-in flashlight in its armor. Fortunately, the pair's flight suits blended well with jungle environments despite their solid olive green color. It also helped that they had their camouflage pattern makeup paints applied on their faces. The Chig was not able to get a trace of their bodies and passed through.

Vansen motioned to Phousse about killing the trooper stealthily with their Kabar combat knives. Phousse nodded in agreement, and the pair rose and crouched quietly behind the Chig.

Phousse then quickly lunged towards the Chig's legs and grabbed them, making the 6-foot trooper stumble and bump its head on a tree trunk, knocking it partially unconscious. Vansen leaped above the Chig, partly lifted its armored helmet, and furiously stabbed its neck 4 times. A combined feeling of fear, satisfaction, and release came upon Shane and Vanessa as they scored their first stealth kill in the near-3 weeks they were stranded at the planet Rozaria. Then, a chilling revelation suddenly made them awake, their eyes widely opening.

Vanessa gasped and stated, "Now that there is one less trooper to worry about, I wonder how this is going to affect the other 69,999 on that base."

"You're right, Phousse! Pretty soon tens to hundreds of them will swarm this area." Shane exclaimed.

"We gotta get the fuck outta here!"

"Right!"

The pair stood and scanned the forest around them. "We gotta make it to our pre-planned extraction site before first light tomorrow. No time to talk, no time to waste. Let's bounce!" Shane declared. Immediately, she and Vanessa tabbed as quickly as they can away from their last position near the Chig outpost. No sooner did the leaders of that base hear about the downed forest sentry, sounded the alarm, and turned on the searchlights, hoping to catch a glimpse of Vansen and Damphousse and seek out retribution.

 _0400 Hours, the next day._

Shane and Vanessa were 50 kilometers from their preset extraction site. As they ran, they took advantage of the terrain and blended into the vast forestry, making sure to follow streams of waterways and dodging spots where Chigs can potentially patrol. Out of nowhere, Shane was struck by the stock of a silenced Heckler & Koch MP10 submachine gun. A group of about 16 men and women clad in black outfits, thermal goggles, and masks, silenced MP10 submachine guns and M8 assault rifles on their hands, approached Vanessa, who then became a bit frightened and nearly passed out from a degree of overwhelming fear. The operative who struck Shane took off his goggles and revealed himself.

"You Lieutenant Damphousse?" He asked.

Vanessa nodded in shock. "Who…are…you?" She asked in a shaken voice.

"Chief Special Warfare Operator Dale Trammell, US Navy SEALs, at your service, Ma'am," the operative introduced himself, snapped to attention, and rendered a salute, facing the awestruck Damphousse. Vanessa hesitantly returned the honors conducted by the senior enlisted SEAL. The chief added, "These are my friends from Seal Team 9 and 7th Force Recon Platoon aboard the Saratoga, Ma'am. We are here to get you out of this Godforsaken planet."

"Here," the chief extended his hand, "Take my hand. Please."

Phousse reached out to the chief and got up. Chief Trammell called out a female recon Marine in his team, "Gunny Kronstadt!" then motioned to Captain Vansen who was unconscious. Gunnery Sergeant Petra Kronstadt, quite the bulky woman she was – not typical of a female service member, crouched to pick up Shane and lifted her and positioned into a "fireman carry" stance with Shane on her left shoulder.

"Good. Now, let's GTFO! If you would please follow us, Lieutenant Damphousse," the chief declared.

The search party and their extracted package walked the rest of the way to an encircled grassy opening in the middle of the surrounding cliffy area. In the center stood an ISSCV waiting to extract everyone involved in that rescue mission.

"Well, Ma'am. There's our ride!" Chief Trammell exclaimed with just a bit of enthusiasm and eagerness to return home to the carrier.

"Chief! Just answer me on this one. How did you…"

"We had the ISSCV modified to produce a jamming emission around it. That same emission would be good for 48 hours or less, should we manage to find you and Captain Vansen within that timeframe. That way, the Chigs won't know about our rescue mission. We even managed to bring with us supplies good for a crew of 20 for 3 days should this operation be successful. Okay, enough talk. Let's go!"

The rescue team as well as the 2 W.M.'s boarded the "cloaked" ISSCV with virtually no resistance in sight. The pilots switched the power to on as well as the jamming device, pushed the collective sticks up, and fired the throttles to afterburner. The 2 corpsmen aboard the transport tended to Vansen and Phousse before any of them would be able to seek further treatment in the _Saratoga_ 's sickbay. What a sigh of relief this was for those aboard the transport! It was time to go home.


	3. Chapter 3: Homecoming

_King and Queen of Hearts – A_ _Space: Above and Beyond_ _Story_

Inspired by the anime series' _Mobile Fighter G Gundam, The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Outlaw Star, and Cowboy Bebop_

Chapter 3: "Homecoming"

Shane woke up from a long sleep aboard the ISSCV she and Vanessa had boarded on away from the planet Rozaria. She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her upper body up from the mounted gurney she was lying down on. The commandos that rescued her and Phousse as well as the 2 corpsmen that tended to the pair caught glimpse of her, but her visual point of reference for this ride was Phousse as she recognized her easily.

"Morning, Sleepyhead!" Phousse exclaimed happily.

Shane gasped with a bit of fear in the back of her mind and loudly asked, "Where the hell am I?"

"You are in good hands, Shane. Who you see before you are the SEALs, corpsmen, and Recon Marines that rescued us from near capture by the Chigs back in Rozaria."

"What?" Vansen asked, still confused.

"We're going home, Captain!" Phousse replied with a wide yet a bit freakish grin on her face.

"And, there ain't no place like it, Ladies!" Chief Trammell, the leader of the commandos added.

Shane caught of the team leader and shouted, "Hey! You're that operative who hit me with the stock of your MP10. Why I oughtta!" She almost stood up to pulverize the chief and give him what for. Vanessa restrained her and worriedly cried out, "Hey. Easy, Shane! They're the good guys and gals who just saved our asses!" Gunnery Sergeant Kronstadt gave a quick lecture on the temperamental captain, "Yeah. You should be thanking us, MA'AM!"

"A woman?" Shane thought. She turned away from the group and scoffed.

"Something bothering you?" Phousse asked.

Shane slowly turned back to the group and let out a deep sigh. "Nothing. I'm sorry, people. That was not ladylike of a female officer like me. It's just that it's been a while since the Lieutenant and I have seen friendly faces. I'm sure you'll understand. With that said, thank you." The commandos replied with gestures consisting of half-assed salutes, palms facing front, making a peace sign and touching the outboard edge of the right eyebrow with the index finger. Shane and Vanessa could not help but laugh along the rest of the way.

An hour and a half later, the heavy-duty ISSCV docked on Platform 8 of the USS _Saratoga_. The airlock was sealed, and the elevator took the transport craft down to one of the hangar bays in the ship. The starboard door of the vehicle flung open mechanically as hundreds of spectators – enlisted personnel, officer, and civilian contractors – bore witness to the two heroines who had just come back from an extremely intense survival scenario deep behind enemy lines. All beholders clapped, threw their fists in the air, and shouted their "Wa-Hoos!" and "Yee-Haws!"

Vanessa gasped and said to Shane in excitement, "Wow, Vansen! I never expected to come home to something like this!"

"Neither did I, Phousse. Let's just savor the moment." Shane replied as she responded to the cheers by throwing her right fist in the air. The pair fast-walked out of the hangar bay, through the corridor that leads to the air wing section of the carrier, hoping to get a glimpse of the other "Wildcards" in the squadron. West and Hawkes would be waiting for them, but not Wang. Wang was long gone despite it having been 3 weeks since Vansen and Damphousse got shot down in the same rescue mission. There was no time to think about that, though. The ladies had gone through a lot during the said 3 weeks. All they wanted was to get some shower, hot chow, and a good 18-hour sleep on their bunks in their quarters.

Vansen and Phousse walked into the ready room where the "Wildcards" were waiting. They stumbled upon West, Hawkes, and Colonel McQueen but could not see the new pilots that checked in 3 days ago as they were busy getting their documentations squared away with the ship's Administration Department.

"Nathan! Coop! Colonel McQueen!" Both ladies shouted.

The trio of combat veterans turned their heads and could not believe their eyes. "Is this a dream? Are Shane and Vanessa still alive? It can't be!" Such thoughts ran through their minds as they stared at the 2 ladies.

"Shane? Phousse?" Nathan cried out in surprise. He and Cooper excitedly ran to meet the ladies again. Cooper ran towards them first and gave them both a big reverse headlock hug with much excitement.

"You know something, girls? It's great to see you both. We missed ya dearly!" He delightfully remarked.

"Oh, can it, Hawkes!" Shane retorted. Cooper let go right after.

"Nathan!" Vanessa lunged towards West and gave him a ghetto-type gangster hug. "Great to see ya, bud!"

"You, too, 'Nessa!"

After Nathan and Phousse exchanged their reunion greetings, Shane slowly walked towards Nathan. She let out a rather sly, seductive smile, stared deeply into his eyes and, with a soft voice, said, "Hey, Pretty Boy."

"Pretty boy? Huh? That's your new moniker for this newly minted captain?"

"Ooh, a captain now, are you? Well, where are my manners? My most sincere congratulations to my brand new equal. Hope I did not offend you."

"It's all good," Nathan sighed. "Gosh, it's great to see you again, Shane!" He moved towards her to give her a big, warm hug, almost letting out a tear. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, big boy," she cheerfully replied as she let out a chuckle.

"AHEM!" Colonel McQueen loudly cleared his throat.

Phousse exclaimed, "And, there's the old man!" She approached the colonel and gave him a handshake. "Glad to see you again, Sir!"

"Likewise, Damphousse. Vansen," he proceeded to also shake Shane's hand and congratulate her for a job well done. Shane then stared at his right leg and gasped, "Oh, Dear Lord! Is that a robotic leg, Colonel?"

"Yep. It was a long story, typical of a late night hybrid horror-action show on TV. I'll tell you ladies about it later. For now, you two need some shower, hot chow, and almost a day's worth of rest. So, I suggest you get to it right now!"

"Yes, Sir!" Shane and Vanessa shouted as they snapped to attention and saluted the colonel. The colonel returned with a slightly lazy rendition. Both ladies made their way out of the ready room. Cooper was chatting with Nathan when he tilted his head away from him and shouted to the ladies, "Hey, I'll see you two mamasitas later. Oh, and don't be a couple of strangers! You hear me and Nate over here?"

"Oh, trust us, Coop. We ain't going nowhere else this time around!" Phousse turned and replied with great joy, realizing that she and Shane had just returned to the one place they always called home away from home.


	4. Chapter 4: Square One

_King and Queen of Hearts – A_ _Space: Above and Beyond_ _Story_

Inspired by the anime series' _Mobile Fighter G Gundam, The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Outlaw Star, and Cowboy Bebop_

Chapter 4: "Square One"

 _The day after homecoming…  
_ Shane and Vanessa, dressed on their new sets of flight suits and boots, disposed of their trays on the _Saratoga_ wardrooms' dirty dish bin. They had just finished their chow after their first shower following 3 weeks worth of being stranded on Rozaria and their subsequent 18+ hours worth of sleep, during which the other "Wildcards" were out on space patrol missions day in and day out. Today's lunch set on the wardroom consisted of 3 slices of turkey, soy sauce fried rice (with bits of corn, carrots, bell peppers, and green peas), and Cajun coleslaw. Oh, did those go down really good. How absolutely fantastic it was to eat real food after consuming mostly leaves back in the forests of Rozaria!

Once they left the wardroom, Shane and Vanessa walked down a passageway to find Colonel McQueen's quarters. As they did this, they were trying to get their bearings straight as it had been a little over 3 weeks since they were rescued by Seal Team 9 and the recon platoon aboard the ship. Upon reaching McQueen's quarters, both stood on attention before the hatch, Shane in front of Vanessa. Shane banged the base of her right fist on the hatch of the quarters three times.

"Who is it?!" The colonel asked from the hatch.

"Captain Vansen and Lieutenant Damphousse, Sir!" Shane replied sharply.

"Very well. ENTER!"

Shane opened the hatch through its circular handle by turning it counterclockwise. She pulled the hatch open and walked in McQueen's quarters, Vanessa behind her. As both of them were in, Vanessa closed the hatch. Both ladies walked in front of the colonel's desk and snapped to attention, Vanessa on Shane's right side.

"Good Afternoon, Colonel McQueen. Captain Vansen and Lieutenant Damphousse reporting as ordered, Sir!" Shane uttered her greetings with refined formality and confidence, something she had not lost while marooned in Rozaria as it turned out.

"At ease, Ladies," McQueen replied from behind his desk. He was sitting wearing his short-sleeved Bravo uniform (or, rather, _khakis_ ). His shirt was thoroughly creased on both sides, golden naval aviator wings pin properly secured a quarter of an inch above 6 rows of his ribbons, and his lieutenant colonel silver "oak leaves" firmly and evenly pressed on the collars of his shirt. The colonel had in his hand 2 folders carrying Vansen and Damphousse's records.

"Vansen, Damphousse, I, with utmost delight, summoned you both here to officially announce that you have been reinstated back to active service in the United States Marine Corps. On behalf of a grateful, beloved planet we call Earth as well as the newly formed United Nations Defense Committee, you are to return to flying status and resume duties fully expected as officers in the 58th Marine Space Strike Fighter Squadron, the "Wildcards." You will be flying under the command of Captain Nathan West and First Lieutenant Cooper Hawkes. Both West and Hawkes have just qualified as Mission Commanders, and West is now receiving follow-on training as Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) courtesy of the staff members from the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School, also known as TOPGUN, situated back at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nevada. They are also currently onbo…."

"Begging the colonel's pardon, but it would make more sense for this captain to be put back to her duties as flight commander," Vansen interrupted the colonel. Damphousse twitched her face in shock at the sudden nerve of her best friend making the most audacious statement a female officer could give to her superior.

"That is a negative, Vansen!" The colonel retorted with a bit of furious annoyance in his face. "You have been out of action for 3 weeks. I cannot afford to lose the 3 new people I took in the squadron days ago because some cocky, seasoned junior officer wants to lead newcomers into battle immediately after being stranded behind enemy lines. Once again, I have to reiterate that Captain West is now the acting Officer-in-Charge with Lieutenant Hawkes as his Second-in-Command now that I have been put out of action due to the loss of a leg. I suggest you treat them as you always have, with your utmost respect as the closest friends you will ever have in your puny, however meaningful lives, as equals in the field, and, most of all, as brothers-in-arms. Is that understood?"

"Loud and clear, Sir!" Shane and Vanessa sharply responded in unison. Colonel McQueen nodded in agreement and gave the ladies a delighted scoff and slight smirk. "Very good! Now, if you both would sign on the bottom of your Page 13's, labeled 'Certification of Reinstatement Back in Service,' I, as your de facto squadron commanding officer until my projected medical retirement, would greatly appreciate it." He presented his $40 diamond cut personalized silver pen by his name plate. Vansen and Damphousse proceeded to sign their paperwork, which stated that they were to go back to serving their beloved Corps. As soon as they were finished, they went back to standing at attention.

"Would that be all, Sir?" Damphousse asked.

"Yes, Lieutenant. That will be all. One more thing, Ladies: The rest of the 'Cards, including the 3 new pilots, are coming back from their routine space patrol in the asteroid belt nearby in 15 Mikes. I suggest you go to the hangar bay and meet them. Dismissed!"

Vansen and Damphousse took a step back with their left feet and sounded off, "Aye, aye, Sir!" They did an about-face and left the colonel's quarters, Vanessa closing the hatch from the outer side. The colonel nodded once more and softly muttered to himself, "Welcome back, Ladies."

 _Ten minutes later…_

Shane and Vanessa continued to make their way to Hangar Bay 6 where the other "Wildcards" were due to arrive. Vanessa could not help but marvel at the thought of meeting the new guys and gal of the squadron as well as having a good real talk with her homeboys Nathan and Coop. As she was walking behind Shane, she said, "Hey, Shane! It feels great to walk around this steel hull again, no matter how life could suck aboard her [the _Saratoga_ ] at times.

"I know, Vanessa," Shane replied without turning her head. She continued to lead the way to the hangar. "Let's just bask in the homely feel of this place and welcome back our compatriots from a long sortie of patrol around the asteroid belt," she added.

"Alright, girl. Say, are you excited to see the new faces?" Phousse asked her.

"Can't say for certain. Let's just hope they could fly as good as they possibly shoot their mouths off about being the best pilots in the fleet," she retorted. Both of them laughed.

 _One minute before arrival…_

The electromechanical doors that led to Hangar Bay 6 flung open. Shane and Vanessa entered the hangar and stood by a detachable operation pod from a sister squadron, the "Rough Riders" of the 89th Naval Fighter Squadron. The "Riders" Hammerhead was down, inoperable due to required maintenance on its internal electrical systems. The pair did not mind about that, though, as they ought to feel smugly satisfied about their own fighters making it back to the carrier without any nicks on the surface. Seconds later, five pods made their way above the surface of the hangar. "It's them," both of the female pilots thought. "Come on, Phousse. Let's move," Shane mandated as she and Vanessa walked to the pods.

The canopy of all five pods retracted upwards to let the pilots out. Nathan, Cooper, Kazuo, Kelsey, and Benny felt a huge amount of relief as they took off their helmets, detached their bodies from the harnesses of their seats, and climbed out of the cockpit. Sweat poured onto their heads, making it seem as if they just came out of a sauna in space.

"Welcome back, Cards!" Shane exclaimed as she and Vanessa rushed to meet the pilots.

"Thanks, Shane," Nathan replied as he approached Shane and Vanessa. "Oh, I almost forgot: Introductions! Captain Vansen, I would like you to meet Lieutenants Kazuo Tsurugi, Kelsey Wheeler, and Ben Kowalski. Tsurugi is designated as Ace of Spades, Wheeler is the Ace of Clubs, and Kowalski is the Ace of Diamonds," he stated as he presented the new pilots in the squadron, pointing to each one of them.

Kazuo, Kelsey, and Ben snapped to attention and saluted Shane. "Good Afternoon, Ma'am!" They sounded off. Shane shyly returned the salute. "At ease," she commanded. She then approached the 3 and shook hands with every one of them. Kazuo then spoke for Kelsey and Ben, "Captain Vansen, it's an honor to be a part of the best squadron in the fleet, Ma'am!"

"Glad to hear that, Kazuo. Oh, and please stop the formalities, you three. It's Shane. Whenever I hear 'Ma'am' from J.O.'s like you, I turn around and try to find my mother to see if she's within the area, but, as you can see, she's not. So, ease up a little." She then pointed to Phousse and said, "That's Vanessa. She is due to make Captain next month. You can refer to her as either that or 'Phousse."

"Which rhymes with Chocolate Mousse," Kelsey jokingly retorted. Vanessa burst out laughing along with everyone else.

"Kels, _that_ was brilliant!" Ben commented.

"Okay, everyone. Enough lollygagging around. Let's head over to maintenance control for the spacecraft turnaround reports and the ready room for debrief. The colonel's waiting. Come on!" Vanessa motioned towards the hall away from the hangar as she took the helm from Shane. Nathan and Cooper gave each other puzzled looks as they could not believe just how more relaxed Shane became after her return from the planet Rozaria. Was it a lapse in her usual rough-and-tough leadership style? Or was she really doing it on purpose? A second after that, it did not matter. They smiled realizing that they could handle the new Shane and respect her even more.


	5. Chapter 5: A Time to Heal

_King and Queen of Hearts: A_ _Space: Above and Beyond_ _Story_

(Partially inspired by the anime's _Mobile Fighter G Gundam_ , _The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross_ , _and Outlaw Star_ )

Chapter 5: "A Time to Heal"

Nathan sat on a table at the back corner of the Officers' Wardroom aboard the USS _Saratoga_. He blankly stared at his tray. The dinner for that night consisted of 3 large slices of corned beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and mixed veggies (carrots, red peppers, corn, and peas). Beside his main plate laid a glass of Cherry Coke to the right and a bowl of strawberry sundae with sliced bananas to the left. As he stared at his tray, he couldn't help but see the faces of his friends and families at the back of his mind. Notably, he would see Paul Wang, Mike Pagodin, Kelly Winslow, and his baby brother Neil staring back at him, all of them smiling as if they felt salvation for having left their lives in the forsaken universe and entered another one where there is no war but peace for all time. He let out a deep sigh as he went through a brief process of compartmentalization – putting behind what has already happened in an imaginary box and sealing it away in the depths of the Medulla Oblongata, never to be thought or spoken of in an extended period of time or maybe forever, if ever possible.

Suddenly, an extremely loud thud and shake disrupted his isolated train of thought. Shane laid her tray on the table and sat across him, taking in a mound of mashed potatoes from her plate with a spoon then slicing up a portion of her corned beef and downing that, too. After swallowing her first set of bite, she took a gulp of Dr. Pepper from her glass, stared at Nathan, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong, Pretty Boy? Why the glum face?"

"Nothing," Nate replied in a droned voice, tapping his fork on his tray, still staring at his evening grub.

Annoyed, Shane pointed her fork at him and softly lashed out, "Don't give me that shit! We have been the closest of friends for a long time running, and I have always known by that dogged look you mold on your face that something is eating you up." She leaned closer to him and uttered, "Now, tell me: What seems to be your core malfunction, West?"

Nathan let out another deep sigh. "It's everyone that has come and gone as quintessential to our existence as pilots the 'Cards and, in turn, vital members of this carrier. Neil, Wang, Winslow, and Pags. Hard to believe that they gave their lives for all of us to be here when you and I both know that we would have given anything for them to live instead of us. About Neil, should it come to a time when I have to face my parents back on Earth and answer to how their younger son was wiped out from their lives as well as mine, I would not really know what to say. I cannot just tell them that Neil died because of an incompetent recon platoon commander. Otherwise, they would go after Herrick's folks. And, believe me, something like that could evolve into something very nasty like a lawsuit or altercation between the fathers of both households. Just the thought of something like that makes me extremely sick."

Nathan then pounded the bases of both his fists beside his tray and softly screamed, "GODDAMNIT!" which caused other officers to look at his table and quickly turn away. He closed his eyes placed his fingers from one hand on them, nearly letting out a tear and a suspended gasp out of shear frustration from seeing the dead in his mind.

Shane twitched her eyebrows in awe, seeing the sadness in Nathan's eyes. She reached out both her hands and warmly placed them over Nathan's other hand, which was next to his drink. "Listen. You are not the only one who has lost loved ones in this war. You know that I did, too. Johnny's sudden comeback and departure and all that 'Never No More,' lovey-dovey stuff? Remember that? Well, I later figured it just was not going to…you know…work out between him and I for some odd reason. I mean, ever since my parents died, and I later parted ways with John, I vowed to myself that I would swear off men until I have completely found my place in the world and established my standing socially enough that I could find somebody to be with for the rest of my days. What matters now is that we are here enjoying every millisecond of life. Who knows if Chigs could come and disrupt our meal at this very moment. We would have to scramble to our Hammerheads in empty stomachs. Imagine how hard that feels in the next duration in a future point in time. Now, stop that meltdown in your head and eat. Your plate's getting cold. That's an order, Marine."

"Aye, Ma'am," Nathan sighed. His frown suddenly turned upside down and flashed the prettiest smile that he could ever give back to his closest lady friend through his pearly white teeth.

"See? Now, you're back. The Nathan West that I have always known. Cheerful, level-headed, and sensitive despite being that guy who has to step back in a corner somewhere to 'recharge' at times. Not to worry though, Handsome. That part about you, I get entirely. You know, sometimes, I wish I had the same level of thoughtfulness as you do, but I don't. Oh, well."

Nathan laughed, then withdrew his hands and started to chomp on a good third of the contents on his plate. He then gulped on his Coke with a satisfied look.

Shane kept staring at him. He stared back, fazed.

"What?"

"You gonna eat that?" She pointed to his strawberry sundae.

"Naw. Too many sugars on this Cherry Coke already." Nathan then lightly shoved the bowl across to Shane.

"What a shame. Nevertheless, yay!" She gleefully exclaimed, her face lighting up as if she just discovered a cache of gold in an island back on Earth.

"Fatty," he grumbled. Luckily, she did not hear that as she was preoccupied with enjoying the sundae that was slid across to her side of the table. Or else, she would have given him a good amount of whacking back and forth.


	6. Chapter 6: Queen of What?

_King and Queen of Hearts –_ _A Space: Above and Beyond_ _Story_

Inspired by the anime series' _Mobile Fighter G Gundam_ , _The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross_ , _Cowboy Bebop_ , and _Outlaw Star_ ; additional dramatic and comical elements are taken from movies such as _Top Gun_ , _Love, Rosie_ , _Independence Day_ , _Bubble Boy_ , and _An Officer and a Gentleman_ as well as the slice-of-life aviation novel _West of the Rock_ by A. Mark Marchione.

Chapter 6: "Queen of What?"

 _July 9, 2064_

 _The space battle carrier USS Saratoga_

 _58_ _th_ _Marine Corps Space Fighter Squadron – Ready Room_

 _1100 Hours_

The "Wildcards" sat in the front row of seats in the Ready Room. Nathan was in the center with Shane on his left side and Cooper to his right. Hawkes taking position to West's right signified his status as operational Second-in-Command as mandated by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) within the squadron. To Hawkes's right sat Vanessa and Kazuo. To Vansen's left sat Kelsey and Ben. Oddly enough, Vanessa could not help but to occasionally use her peripheral vision to stare at Kazuo who reminded her of Paul Wang, her closest friend and "lover-to-be" who was killed in action a little over a month ago prior to being stranded with Shane on the planet Rozaria. The time was already shifting into midday, and all of the 'Cards hoped to get their chow at the Officers' Wardroom after this special "quarters" (all-squadron mandatory meeting), which was to be administered by Colonel McQueen.

All of a sudden, Nathan yelled, "ATTENTION ON DECK!" The pilots stood up as Colonel McQueen and Commodore Ross entered the room. The commodore had been brought in to witness the special ceremony that was about to take place and, possibly, throw in his usual rhetoric of encouragement towards the best squadron in the ship, let alone the fleet. "At Ease!" McQueen ordered the squadron as they relaxed their postures while remaining on their feet. He took his position behind the podium in front of them while the commodore stood beside the white planning board to the left of the spectators' view.

"Good Morning, Wildcards!" he greeted the squadron.

"GOOD MORNING, SIR!" the squadron yelled out in unison with confidence better than the past few days since Vansen and Damphousse returned to the carrier to an unexpected heroines' welcome home.

Colonel McQueen proceeded to recite his speech for the ceremony:

"Wildcards, you are gathered here today to welcome back two of the finest pilots in the squadron: Captain Shane N. Vansen and First Lieutenant – no, scratch that – Captain-Select Vanessa E. Damphousse. Please give them a round of applause for their much-needed commendation for their initiative as those that had made a significant difference in the current theater of war as well as their continued commitment to our nation's beloved Corps!"

The squadron clapped and quickly had their voices ascend to a standing ovation that was overheard by other personnel outside of the Ready Room. They stopped their cheers as McQueen raised and waved his hand. He continued:

"With that aside, I would like for one of them to head out front. Captain Vansen, Front and Center!"

Shane stepped out of the row, marched in a steadily and orderly fashion, halted in front of the podium, and performed an about face to face opposite the squadron. While this was going on, Nathan relieved Colonel McQueen's position behind the podium as the latter took out a patch from the right zippered breast pocket of his black flight suit.

Nathan recited his speech during the ceremony:

"Captain Shane Vansen, by the order of the Commanding Officer of the United States Navy Space Battle Carrier USS _Saratoga_ , Read Admiral (Lower Half) Glen J. Ross, as well as Commanding Officer, 58th Marine Space Fighter Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Tyrus C. McQueen, you are hereby re-designated with a brand new call-sign. As of today, July 9th, the Year of Our Lord 2064, you are no longer the 'Queen of Diamonds' but are, rather, bestowed a new designation as the 'Queen of Hearts' in the 'Wildcards' squadron. You are to use this newly appointed tactical name in future operations from this day on. Congratulations, and thank you for your continued service in the Marine Corps. Signed, Commodore Ross, US Navy."

Colonel McQueen marched smartly and turned in front of Shane. He then presented her with the patch he kept in his suit.

"Congratulations on a job well done, Captain Vansen," the colonel declared as he shook Shane's hand with the right and gave her the "Queen of Hearts" patch with the left, Shane taking the patch with her left hand.

"Thank you, Sir!" Shane replied in recognition of her achievement. McQueen performed an about face and marched to take back his position behind the podium. Nathan marched off the podium smartly to return to a standing position in front his seat.

"Captain Vansen, you may return to your seat!" the colonel commanded as Shane then marched back to the front of her seat next to Nathan. McQueen then continued his brief speech, "Well, Wildcards. That was it. Vansen was re-designated with a new operational codename." He turned to Commodore Ross and asked, "Sir, you have anything for the squadron?"

"Nothing, Colonel. That is, other than my most sincere congratulations to Captain Vansen and _Captain-Select_ Damphousse, nothing much except keep up the good work, People," Ross replied as he motioned towards the whole squadron. A thought suddenly popped in his head.

"Oh, and one more thing: On the 16th of this month, we will head to our port of call back at the space city of Bacchus!" he added. All of the "Wildcards" shouted their "WHOO-HOO's" as they clapped and threw their fists in the air. They stopped as the colonel raised his palmed "Stop" signal.

"Liberty call will last for 4 days. Unfortunately, guess who has the first 2 days worth of duty while on anchor: You do! So, make sure that you get all of your administrative tasks squared away for those first couple of days before having your fun in the city," he added further as he pointed to the squadron. The pilots softly groaned from that bit of disappointment.

Colonel McQueen made his closing remarks, "That will be all, People. Carry on!"

"ATTENTION ON DECK!" Nathan shouted as the whole squadron snapped to attention and Commodore Ross left the room followed by Colonel McQueen. As soon as the "old men" left the room, all of the pilots went wild with another round of cheers and high-fives.

"So, Shane, my felicitation goes out to you, Your Royal Highness!" Cooper joked as he rendered a lazy "peace salute" towards Shane.

"Come on, Coop. Give it a rest."

"Fair enough. But, wait, if Nate is the King of Hearts, then that must mean-"

"Hawkes, don't even go there. I'm warning you!" Shane retorted, annoyed, as Phousse, Kazuo, Kels, and Ben jeered upon their appalled reaction. She then walked out of the room with Phousse and headed to the Wardroom for their afternoon chow. Nathan's face turned crimson with slight embarrassment. Cooper then turned to him, extended his right arm, and said, "Well, Cap. The best man won. You got the cake. Congratulations." Nathan slightly looked away from and shook his head.

"Cooper, I never looked at it as if _we_ were both after _her_ in the first place."

"Aw, come on, Nathan! She's always had her eyes on you as I used to have mine on her. It's only fair game that _you_ , as the King for your Queen, take the cake. I mean, you both have corresponding designations underneath the same symbol now. I'm sure you're happy for her about that to some degree, right, Best Bud?"

"Yeah, but only as her closest friend. Nothing more," Nathan calmly retorted as he faced Cooper. "Nevertheless, though, I'll accept your congratulations on her behalf," he said as he shook Cooper's hand. Cooper then excitedly transitioned his handshake into a gangster hug. "West, I love you, Man. I fuckin' love you. You and Vansen!"

"Yeah, alright, Hawkes. That's enough," Nathan muttered as he kept his composure while being caught in a suffocating yet playful brotherly hug by Coop. He then turned towards the new 3 pilots and announced, "Alright, Nuggets. It's time for chow. Let's go!"

Kazuo, Kelsey, and Benny cheered as they followed their 2 veteran flight leads out of the Ready Room to the Officers' Mess.


End file.
